Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-24
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
Its Origin, and Changes in It's OBJ
6erVance.

''MOther, look at these valentines;
aren't they pretty?" said little Grace
Wilcox, one evening toward the middle
of February. as she placed handful
of light, gauzy, variously-colored cards
in her mothers lap.
mine are the handsOmest, declared
her brother Dura; "see if they amt.
Girls always choose such dish-washy
things!''
Mrs. Wilcox laid down her magazine,
and, taking the valentines, looked them
over carefully. She smiled gravely at
the gay-colored, ridiculous caricatures
of Dura's; evidently Grace's pretty
trifles pleased hsr best.
But Dura did not observe his mothers
look. There, that one," he said,
pointing to an atrociously comical pict-
ure representing donkey braying,
and man sitting astride its back, with
a big, crooked nose and wall eyes, sing
ing to a girl at neighboring window:
Il sing to you. my valentine,
The love I feel for you;
My donkey feeds on dew,
But can't make this rhyme"
~'That / am going to send to johnny
Rand. You know he's crOss-eyed, and
has got big nose, and that will just
make him tearing"
''Dura, you must not do any such
thing" said his mother, very decided
1y. LAS a bit of fun, a harmless joke
between good friends, nothing need be
said against valentines; but to send
these anonymously to an enemy, or to
any extremely sensitive person may do
much mischief. Johnny is not to
blame for his eyes and irregular feat
ures, and your doggerel valentine
would assuredly hurt his feelings
well, won't then; l will send it
instead to poor little Jessie Caldmon,
the Irish girl; she will think it nice
enough"
Those are horrid-looking pictures.
Dura," observed his mother, handing
the collection back to him. "They
are not much like the valentines they
used to send to one another in good Mr..
Pepys day
"Oh, tell us about it. mother" plead
ed Grace. when was that? Did the
boys and girls back, oh. ever SO long
ago. choose valentines. too?'
The custom of sending valentines is
as old as the hills" answered Mrs. Will
COX, land at one time it was fashion
able for older persons. the married as
we'll rs single. to buy presents for val
-entines. Some of these presents were
very costly ones. Pieces of jewelry
costing thousands of dollars were not
unusual. though cheaper things like
gloves. stockings and sweetmeats were
more common. This Mr. Pepys, l
mentioned. was gentleman who lived
more than two hundred years ago. in
the time of Charles H. of England. and
kept an interesting diary. He speaks
of many of the curious customs of the
day, and tells us one time how he sent
his wife stockings and carriers for her
valentine. One year he says his wife
CHANGED to be his valentine, and
grumbleS because it will cost him five
pounds, which was good deal of
money in those days. At another time
he gave her Turkey stone set with
diamonds for valentine
''But perhaps you would like best what
he has to say about valentines in an
other place" Mrs. Wilcox reached for
a book in an open case and turned some
of the leaves. Yes. here it is: Il find
that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my val
entine, she having drawn me. which l
was not sorry for. it easing me of some
thing more than must have given to
Others. But here do first observe the
fashion of drawing notices as well as
name, SO that Pierce, who drew my
wife, did also draw motto. and this
girl drew another for me. What mine
was forgot. but my WIFE was: 'Most
courteous and moss fair!" which, rs it
may be used as an anagram upon each
name. might be very pretty"
''Oh, how FUNNY" exclaimed Dura.
-"but l believe 1 wouldn't just like to
be drawn rs in lottery: I'd rather
choose my own valentine"
THAT was an old English fashion.
The young folks were in the habit on
the eve of st. Valentines Day of meet
ing together. and an equal number of
girls and boys would write their true
or feigned name upon separate billets
which they rolled up and drew by lot,
the girls taking the boys billets, and
the boys those of the girls, so that each
of the boys lighted upon girl that he
called his valentine, and each of the
girls upon lad whom she called hers.
After this the valentines gave balls and
treats to eirpartners. and wore their
hillets several days upon their breasts
-snd sleeves"
..Who sent the first valentines. I
wonder?' asked Grace. land have
they always kept St Valentines DayP"